Vespasian: And The Year of The Four Emperors

Just before midnight on 8 June, AD 68, the Emperor Nero rose from a deep sleep to find that the Palace Guard had deserted.  He sent slaves with messages for his advisers to attend but no one turned up and he received no replies. In his frustration he visited their chambers in person but found them abandoned. He began to panic. He called for a Gladiator to protect him but none could be found. In his despair he cried, ” Have I neither friend or foe.” With only 4 slaves to accompany him he fled the Palace to a Villa some four miles outside Rome. He was already contemplating suicide when he heard the news that the Senate had declared him a Public Enemy and ordered that it was every citizens duty to do him harm.

Nero had been losing his grip on power for sometime. Rebellions throughout the Empire had become more frequent. He had foolishly neglected his Legions, raised taxes without consultation, created a climate of fear by his arbitrary use of the law, and offended the nobility with his antics. He had also lost the trust of the people in the years following the Great Fire of Rome.

The Great Fire had erupted on the night of 18 July, AD 64, destroying much of the commercial district of the city. Nero had responded decisively and well to the crisis. He had rushed back to the city to supervise the fire-fighting efforts and organise relief for those effected, much of which he paid for out of his own pocket. He also opened up many of his Palaces to shelter the homeless. In the aftermath of the fire, however, he had a vision for a new Rome, with a great Palace at its centre – Nero’s Golden House. Rumours soon began to spread that Nero had deliberately started the fire to clear the way for his latest Grand Project. The joke, believed by many, was that he had ” Fiddled while Rome Burned.” It did his reputation untold damage but the project went ahead regardless. His persecution of the Christian Community, unpopular though they were, fooled no one. He blamed them for starting the fire, the people saw them as scapegoats for his own failings. 

As Nero contemplated what to do the Roman Political Establishment looked towards Servius Sulpicius Galba, the Governor of Spain, for their new Emperor. Nero, in the meantime, considered fleeing to Parthia and trying to rally the provinces, he also thought of addressing the people directly and begging their forgiveness for his previous indiscretions. They had adored him in the past, would they not rally to his cause now? Perhaps, he could place himself at the mercy of Galba. After all, he had done him no harm. It was all pie in the sky. All that remained to him was an honourable suicide or the humiliation of a public execution. He chose the former but could not bring himself to do it. It was his servant Epaphroditos, who thrust the sword into his neck. His last words were, ” What an artist dies in me.”